Diamond and Pearl Redone
by XXXpossessedforlifeXXX
Summary: Ash's loss to Gary made him finally understand his faults as a trainer: neglecting his old pokemon, improperly training his current ones, and even abandoning some. With all this in mind, Ash trains for months before setting off to Sinnoh, with far stronger pokemon and this time with the intent to win the league.


**Here's something I always wanted to try, a redo of Ash's Sinnoh version, where he had the most potential. I mean, i would've done Hoenn too ,but I don't know the story well enough, and also I hate Max and May. Anyways, here it is. By the way, he's not 10 like he is in anime, he's 14, and has the maturity of an experienced traveler, so don't get mad when he curses or something like that. Also, in this story, as it should be in the anime, getting to the pokemon league is a massive achievement, so Ash getting to where he did was pretty good in the story. That being said, he won't be battling against idiots who seem like they just began their journey either. EDIT: Will definitely be AshxCynthia, idk about including Dawn in that.**

Sinnoh was certainly a land of reckoning. From the massive and frigid region spawned the creation myths, speaking of pokemon that with a single blink could end the existence of the Hoenn weather trio. It would be far more difficult than any of the other leagues he'd been a part of.

But this time Ash was going to win.

He had done well in the Orange Islands and perhaps Johto, but Hoenn had been a failure. He had failed to bring his old friends into the fray, relying on only his Hoenn-native pokemon to fight in battles. Sceptile had been a Grovyle back then, unable to do much offensive damage to Tyson's formidable team. Pikachu was the only old pokemon that had reserved a spot on his team. Perhaps the use of Charizard or Snorlax would have guaranteed a victory.

His loss to Gary's Electivire had left a bitter taste in his mouth, since the researcher had ceased real training for almost two years. Ash had gotten far too cocky, believing that Pikachu would use the power he had defeated Regice with to decimate the evolution of electabuzz.

Yet he had failed.

The mouse had not been properly trained to maintain such power without far too much strain and duress, and his stamina in the battle had been sorely lacking. But perhaps the mortifying loss was a victory in the long run.

Ash had realized he had been neglecting his pokemon, leaving them with the false hope that he'd one day use them on his adventures once again. Muk and Tododile were prime examples of such neglect. Then there were the cases of a few others, namely Pidgeot and Primeape, whom Ash had never brought home. He had so many friends out there, all training in the hope that they would one day be able to show him their power.

But that was the past, and Ash resolved to make a mark as a trainer in this region. Top 8 would not suffice his demands anymore. He would _win._

The loss to Gary had taken place over six months ago, and since then, Ash had dedicated himself to training his ever growing family. Pokemon had evolved, he'd procured new ones, and he'd traded a few of the Tauros he knew he would never use for rarer specimens of pokemon.

"Ready, Pikachu?" Ash spoke in a deep, impressive voice to the electric rodent perched on his shoulder. They were aboard a luxury cruiser, one whose name Ash had forgot. His memory had never served him well for anything but training, it seemed. Professor Oak had readily paid for the sum of the ticket for him, stating it was the least he could do for his surrogate grandson. "We're going to win this time. We've gotten too strong to turn back now."

"Pika pii!" The mouse nodded back with a determined demeanor. Past failures had worn Pikachu's patience thin, and the mouse was ready to show the world how powerful he had become, from the humble mouse gaining sustenance from Oak's lab's power cables to the proud warrior defeating Legends.

Ash did not know if he would obtain new travelling companions this time around, though he dearly hoped that by some chance Brock would find his way here as he did in Hoenn. The elder teen was a surrogate older brother for Ash, and Ash would sorely miss the company of the... _hormonal_ teen.

But it mattered not whether friends accompanied him, or if Ash had to travel alone. This time his friends from his past adventures would be with him, and he would lead them on the path to victory and strength.

He would come, he would see, and he would _conquer._

* * *

The ship took two days to reach Sinnoh, quite a short time for such a staggering distance. Then again, Ash supposed, it was modern technology, the same technology that could transport sentient beings over a computer.

He and Pikachu absorbed the sights around them as they stepped off the relatively sparsely crowded ship, amazed at the immensity of Sinnoh. The temperature did not bode well for Ash or Pikachu, both of whom were accustomed to much hotter environments. The breeze on the back of Ash's head served a somber reminder for the hair that once jutted out of it. He had cut it off right before embarking on the journey to the new league, leaving come on top and combing it to the side. His outfit for the first time lacked a hood, consisting of a black crewneck with white stylish designs emblazoned on its front along with a pair of black joggers. Perhaps not the best fit for braving the harsh environment, but the cloth provided mobility, and he was finally wearing an outfit that fit in with his maturity, or at the very least, his age.

They were in a port city, apparently focal to the region's economy, Canalave City. In the distance loomed an imposing building, and Ash gaped as he read the words engraved near the building's top: Canalave City Library. Just how many books did a library of such massive scope have?

But he wasn't here to merely venture around the city; he needed to reach a town known as Sandgem Town, a sparsely populated place according to Professor Oak, to meet Professor Rowan and have the sponsor of a great deal of Sinnoh's trainers upgrade his pokedex to adapt to Sinnoh's data. Oak could have done it himself, but wanted Ash to have a reason to meet Sinnoh's professor. It was always a good idea to maintain connections, after all.

Canalave wasn't too far from Sandgem, according to locals and maps. That was ideal; he didn't want to waste too much time without starting the Gym Challenge. It had been quite unfortunate that Ash had found out about the presence of a gym in Canalave after he left the city. Trainers he'd battled and beaten had inquired why he hadn't fought Byron yet.

Apparently Byron, virtuoso of steel-types, would only accept the challenges of trainers with at least six Sinnoh league badges. But the trainer doubted that Byron would refuse his challenge if Ash's pokedex read his achievements to the man.

As he continued walking, Pikachu dutifully perched on his shoulder, both friends enjoying the tranquil silence, a bizarre object in the air steadily came closer, and it became clear that whatever it was seemed to be targeting Ash and Pikachu. The trainer cursed in annoyance as the most pathetic "criminals" in the pokemon world descended in their ridiculous meowth-shaped balloon to snidely greet him.

"You thought you could outrun us, Twerp!" James crooned, his voice straining Ash's eardrums.

"You can't get away anymore without handing over Pikachu and anyone else you have!" Jessie chimed in. "Boss gave us some training, and now we're capable of destroying your team!"

"Dat's right!" Hooted arguably the weakest meowth in existence. It had always been Meowth that aggravated him the most. He was pathetic, incapable of combat and formulating the most ridiculous schemes. The mistake Ash had always made was to allow the Rockets to get away, blasting them off and not bothering to search for them.

This time they wouldn't be bothering him again.

"Pikachu, sit this one out. I think it's time to show them an old friend of mine." The electric mouse complied, deftly leaping off his shoulder. Ash glared up at the loathsome trio. "You idiots have bothered me enough on my journey. From the very first day up till now, you've always gotten in the way and wasted my time. You're even the reason I was late to my match at the Indigo Plateau."

Meowth and James had the sense to appear uneasy, but Jessie took no notice of Ash's animosity. "What are you gonna do about it, Twerp? We're too strong for you this time!"

The raven-haired trainer shook his head, restraining himself from speaking any more. There was honestly no point in conversing with Jessie. How James and Meowth put up with her he didn't know, and he never would. "Come out, buddy, I'm gonna need you for this!"

A brilliant hue of white light blinded the three Rockets, but white was quickly replaced with swirling purple, phantasmal bolts of energy emitting from his friend. A bipedal and burly purple figure floated a few inches off the ground despite now having legs to walk on it with. Perhaps the most unsettling feature about it was the improbably wide and eerie grin splitting its face, or the menacing and vicious red eyes that eyed the Rockets in horrendous amusement.

It was Gengar, the same haunter Ash had given to Sabrina.

It widened its hideous maw, displaying serrated, jagged teeth, savoring the squeaks its actions elicited from the trio. Ash had gotten Haunter back upon Sabrina's suggestion, the latter stating that a stationary life at a gym was not the lifestyle Haunter had ever wanted. She had had a companion in the mischievous ghost, but its dreams were more important than Sabrina's desires, and upon the resulting trade back, Haunter had finally attained evolution.

"W-When did the Twerp get a Gengar?!" James cried. Meowth mirrored his actions, but a devilish grin settled on Jessie's face in spite of her terror a moment before.

Ash cut her off before she could make an absurd suggestion. "Gengar, Shadow Ball, but bring those idiots _down,_ not blasting away." A swirling ball of crackling corporeal energy formed, as large as Gengar's torso, and was shot off at the Rockets, who never anticipated its speed. Before Jessie could release her allegedly powerful new pokemon, the outlandish attack tore through the balloon, and the ridiculously shaped balloon dropped out of the air. It hadn't been too far off the ground, but it had been high enough that the Rockets were knocked unconscious the moment the balloon hit the ground.

Ash sighed as he recalled Gengar, praising his friend for a job well done. Perhaps he should lighten up a little. After all, the banes of his travels were about to be permanently removed from his path, or at least as soon as he called the police. Based on pokegear, he shouldn't be more than a few minutes away from Sandgem, so there wouldn't be confusion on his location.

He made the call short yet concise, and the dispatcher was surprisingly helpful and cautious, given that natives of Sinnoh couldn't know much about Team Rocket. "Well buddy," Ash grinned at Pikachu, "those three are finally gonna be out of our lives. By the time they get out, we'll be champions and they'll have to get through a whole league before they can challenge us." Pikachu grinned back excitedly at the thought of being a champion leveled pokemon; perhaps the prospect of the Rockets being released was one to anticipate.

A sudden shriek cut Ash's words short. It definitely came from a girl, but other than that, he couldn't tell much. Nodding at Pikachu, he ran towards the source of the noise. It had been a dull day of effortless victories against young trainers, and perhaps this would be a far more satisfying venture.

The duo arrived at the scene scarcely a minute later; both were extremely fit, and the shriek hadn't been too far off anyways. The shriek had come from an _incredibly_ attractive blue-haired girl around his age, although she seemed to be a beginning trainer, if the unconscious blue penguin by her feet was anything to go by. A menacing and hungry Ariados slowly made its way towards her, minute drops of poison dripping from its mouth.

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" Ash called out, and the mouse instantly reacted, allowing the massive spider no time to retaliate. A moment later, a wicked bolt of concentrated electricity struck it, and its body spasmed uncontrollably. It fell unconscious a brief second later.

Ash shot Pikachu a pleased grin and turned to address the girl, but had no time before he was knocked off his feet by something _soft_ tackling him. A glance down told him it was the girl he'd just saved, and she apparently liked to express her gratitude rather...physically. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She squealed in happiness as she clutched him closely to her.

"...Shouldn't you be looking at your pokemon?" Ash asked awkwardly. He had matured significantly and knew how to handle girls now, and knew that the one on top of him was quite attractive, but that didn't change his uneasiness in new situations like these.

At once the girl blushed furiously and leaped off of him, scampering off towards her fallen pokemon. "Piplup, no!" So that was its name, Piplup. It didn't look like much, given its shortness and unfitness. Perhaps that would change over time with proper training. The girl hurriedly ran through a nearby bag that Ash hadn't even noticed, but could not find what she was looking for, as she took her hand out of the pack with a sigh.

"Maybe you need a potion," Ash offered, smoothly reaching into his bag without looking and pulling one out. He tossed it to her, eliciting another squeal of thanks from her. Her enthusiasm wasn't quite contagious, but Ash did find a small grin tugging at his lips as he watched her revive the fallen penguin and hug it tightly as it awoke. Her bond with pokemon was profound, especially for a presumable rookie trainer, and she'd likely go far in whatever direction she chose.

"What's your name by the way?" Ash asked.

She beamed at him, albeit a bit shyly. "Dawn Berlitz, future Master Coordinator! What's yours?"

It seemed she would follow May's path, then. "Ash Ketchum." He smiled broadly. "I'm going to be a Pokemon Master within a few years."

"So you're a trainer?" Dawn inquired curiously. "I don't know, fighting's not my thing, I want to just create beauty."

There she differed starkly from May, who had no goal in mind before she began her travels with Ash. The brunette, if Ash recalled correctly, hadn't even wanted to _touch_ pokemon. Dawn, however, inexperienced as she was, had a goal and was friendly. Those two in themselves would take her far. "So you just started your journey?"

Dawn smiled sheepishly, lowering her head in mortification. "Yeah, I got this Piplup from Professor Rowan, but just a few minutes onto the road, we were attack by the Ariados. We didn't stand a chance against it." The teen morosely sighed.

Ash shook his head at her antics. "Dawn, if you think you'll succeed right away, and win everything, you're wrong. Everyone deals with loss at some point. I know I have too many times. Don't beat yourself up over a loss to a far more experienced opponent."

Dawn grinned gratefully back at Ash, eliciting a light but barely discernible blush from latter. "Thanks, Ash, I needed that. By the way, how long have you been a trainer? Your Pikachu's so strong!"

Both trainer and pokemon grinned at the influx of praise. "We've been at it for four years now. We've won the Orange Island League and the Battle Frontier in Kanto, and competed in lots of leagues from the three regions west of here."

Dawn's eyes widened in disbelief. "The Battle Frontier?" She spoke in a barely audible whisper. "That's...amazing! How powerful are you defeat the Battle Frontier? We have our own one here in Sinnoh, but the reputation of the Kanto Battle Frontier is incredible! You're so strong to have gotten to so many leagues!"

"Thanks." An appreciative look settled on Ash's face at the praise. "By the way, Dawn, do you think you could make a detour and head back to Sandgem with me? I'd rather not get lost myself, even if it should be close by."

Dawn excitedly beamed at the prospect of more time with Ash. "Sure, its the least I could do for the guy who saved my life!" The last part was a tad sardonic, but it was done in good nature, so Ash ignored it. The raven-haired trainer was ready to follow the attractive teen out of the wilderness before he cursed in sheer frustration. The rocket trio! He'd forgotten about those idiots. Now he'd have to wait for authorities to arrive to arrest them before he could get to Sandgem.

He groaned as he poised to call back Dawn. It seemed that the pathetic trio was disastrous to deal with in all situations.

* * *

Finally, he found himself standing face to face with the aging yet reverent Professor Rowan.

According to Professor Oak, Rowan specialized in knowledge on evolution, which was possibly because of the variations in evolution here in Sinnoh. There were certain items or stones found in the wild that produced the chemicals to react with the physiology of certain pokemon, found solely in Sinnoh. Pokemon thought to have attained full maturity were now discovered to have forms endowed with even more power, and all this knowledge, in addition to far more, was imparted to the world by Rowan.

"Hello Professor, I'm Ash Ketchum."

The aging man's eyes flickered in recognition at the name, and said, "Ah yes, you're the remarkable trainer Samuel was speaking of. You've come here to have your pokedex upgraded to show Sinnoh's features, no? And...Dawn! What are you doing back here?"

Dawn sighed tersely, disliking even the thought of her _distraction._ "I was attacked by an ariados, Professor, but Ash saved me from them, and the least I could do for him was to lead him here."

"Ah, I see." The man sighed, his weariness and age catching up to him at that moment. "Many young trainers have been hurt badly too early on their journeys. You must be careful, Dawn." He paused for a moment, taking a card out of his pocket and inserting it into Ash's pokedex. He abruptly snapped his head up, continuing, "Ash, I am also registering your pokedex for the gym challenge, and a good place for both of you to begin your journeys is Oreburgh City. There's a beginner's gym there as well as a contest hall. I believe the two of you should stick together at least until you get there." He paused and glanced expectantly at Ash.

It was unlikely he'd retain any form of friendliness with Rowan if he refused the offer, and besides, he liked Dawn. Her enthusiasm perhaps could be a bit unwarranted at times, but that was expected of a novice with pokemon. "Sure, I'd be glad to." Ash nodded genuinely at Rowan, and discretely observed Dawn expelling a huge breath. He inwardly smirked; she'd wanted to go with him anyways. The thought was oddly pleasing, yet he shook that feeling off. Any semblance of romantic feelings would only hinder his progress as a trainer.

"Are your pokemon all healed?" Rowan gave the two a final inspection before heading out. As they nodded in the affirmative, he bade them farewell, saying, "Well then, you two should be off! Good luck on both of your journeys! I expect the two of you to go far on your careers!"

* * *

According to Dawn, access to Oreburgh would be far easier by going to Jubilife City first and then heading east. There was no direct path from Sandgem to Oreburgh as the terrain was simply too rugged for safe travel. Ash didn't mind; there was more time to train and browse for new pokemon, in addition to an unexpected rendezvous with an old, hormonal friend.

He didn't know how exactly Brock found them, but he'd hitched a ride in a car with an attractive girl around his age, although Brock's dreams of asking her out were crushed when she quickly left to meet up with her boyfriend. Ash rolled his eyes at just the thought of his friend's antics. Brock was nearly a grown man now, yet he refused to grow up. Not that Ash minded; it was good comic relief at times.

After a bone-crushing hug from Brock, who was here because Ash had told him he would be going to Sinnoh, and introducing him to an unsettled Dawn, the trio were finally on their way.

It hadn't been very long before Ash had decided on his first capture: a Starly. According to his pokedex, this starly was of impressive build and was a powerful specimen of its species. But perhaps he wouldn't have caught the docile bird if he didn't know that they evolved into staraptor, predatory avians that had no qualms about brawling with far larger opponents. That was the kind of pokemon that suited Ash, given the strange encounters he had with such powerful pokemon.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack, end this quick!" Ash shouted, and in an improbably quick flash of movement, Starly was sent sprawling onto the floor, unconscious. Perhaps the blow was a bit harsh, but Ash didn't want to prolong the battle. He quickly chucked a pokemon at the docile bird, and it dinged after a few seconds, signifying a successful capture. He and Pikachu no longer leaped up in joy as he attached his new friend to his belt; they had matured over their intense six month training session.

"Hey, Ash," Brock inquired in confusion, "that's the _eight_ pokemon you have on you right now, why hasn't it been transferred to Professor Oak? And...you have your old pokemon on you again?"

Ash grimaced at the subtle but unintended reminder of his attempts to have a "fresh start" in Hoenn. "Well, Brock, Gary and I had a talk after the Battle Frontier, and after that I finally saw how I was neglecting my pokemon. So we trained for six months before coming here.

" Not to mention I traded 29 of my Tauros away for other pokemon, and I captured a few more. Since I have so many pokemon now, the Professor let me carry 12 pokemon at once." As he finished, he noticed Brock looking at him with something akin to pride. "What?"

"Finally, Ash, you're changing. I always noticed how pokemon like Muk and Kingler trained so hard only to not be used again. You were neglecting them Ash, but now that you're not, you're on the path to being a far better trainer. And those 29 other tauros...I always wondered what you were going to do with them. I'm proud of you, little buddy." Brock warmly grinned at Ash. It seemed impossible, that the brash and immature ten year old had morphed to the powerful and wisdom wielding teen standing before him.

Dawn looked on in awe. In that little exchange of words, Dawn could see the bond Ash and Brock had. It was almost as though they were brothers. They had obviously shared intense experiences for them to have gotten this close. Forming such bonds was among the finer perks of travelling. It was at that moment that Dawn knew she and Ash would not part ways at Oreburgh City.

The three of them were suddenly blinded by vibrant yellow arcing beams of thunder in the near distance. A short burst of speed later took them to a clearing in the woods they were in, coming across a purple-haired trainer that looked to be Ash's age. He was flanked by a short yellow creature that Ash instantly recognized as an elekid, one of the pokemon that Rowan discovered a final evolution to.

Ash exuded cold waves of anger as it became clear that the trainer was releasing two injured starly that he had presumably just caught without treating their wounds. Before Ash could intervene, they let out shrieks of pain and humiliation and flew off into the wilderness, out of their lives.

"Hey, what the hell was that?" Ash furiously shouted at the teen, who merely sneered in disdain. "You could've at least treated their wounds, you jerk."

"They were weak, and lacked the move Aerial Ace. They weren't cut out for me." The teen retorted in a voice far eclipsing his age.

Ash bristled in anger. "So you teach them Aerial Ace! You don't just release pokemon and make them feel pathetic because you were too lazy to train them."

"He's right!" Dawn cut in, narrowing her eyes in distaste. "What kind of guy are you, beating up pokemon and then just releasing them?" Brock nodded his ascent silently, glaring at the boy as well.

"If you disagree with my training methods, then how about we have a battle, weakling?" The trainer sneered.

A dangerous grin played on Ash's face as he replied, "That's what I was waiting for. Brock, ref this battle." The breeder nodded and jogged to the side of the clearing, out of harm's way.

"This will be a 3 on 3 between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and..."

The cold trainer snorted in contempt. "If you really must know, Paul Slate from Veilstone City."

"And Paul Slate from Veilstone City! When all three pokemon on one side of the battle are unconscious, that trainer loses! Substitutions are allowed! Begin!"

"Starly, do not disappoint me!" Paul called out as a bird not dissimilar to Ash's newest friend materialized.

"Well, if that's how you want to play it, go Starly!" Ash yelled, sending out his own Sinnoh avian.

"Starly, Aerial Ace!" Paul ordered, and the bird complied immediately, launching itself at its opponent at breakneck speed.

"Starly, fend it off with Wing Attack!" Ash countered, and his own starly's wings glowed with a hue of white before slamming into the opposing starly an instant before it struck Starly. "Good, now knock it down and Quick Attack!" Starly slammed its wings into its adversaries back, earning a painful squawk from the bird and sending it reeling to the floor, before briskly diving after it. While not as fast as Paul's starly had been under the influence of Aerial Ace, its speed was still impressive, and upon impact, Paul's starly was knocked unconscious.

Paul's impassiveness was in stark contrast to Ash's exuberance as he praised his new friend, "Good job Starly! That was great! You deserve a rest." Ash recalled the diminutive avian, awaiting Paul's next pokemon.

"Elekid, stand by for battle." He ordered stoically, and the same pokemon from before stalked forward menacingly.

Ash grinned at the tiny plug-like creature attempting to intimidate him. "Sorry Pikachu, but this one's not for you. I think we should let someone else try this. Come on out, buddy!" From the resulting blinding flash of light materialized a massive shellfish-like creature, boasting of steel-plated cannons extruding from his back and bulky arms, ready to swing at a moment's notice.

It was Blastoise, Ash's old Squirtle.

The shellfish had decided to permanently resettle with Ash, having decided that fighting fires lacked the excitement of training and gaining power. He and Bulbasaur had finally set aside their dislike towards evolution, and had finally attained forms where they could maximize their potential.

"Blastoise, Focus Blast!" Blastoise roared in response, forming a red ball of potent energy, steadily burgeoning in size.

"Elekid, Discharge!" Paul ordered. Ash blanched at how hard Paul was pushing his pokemon. Did he really expect the discharge to halt Blastoise's attack or at least diminish it enough so that Elekid would not be harmed?

The Focus Blast was launched a moment later, tearing through the arcing beams of the discharge with ease and striking into Elekid a moment later. There was no doubt the plug-like creature was unconscious and would be heavily bruised for days to come.

Paul tried to remain impassive, but a glower betrayed his emotions as he recalled Elekid. He pondered for a moment before releasing his next pokemon. Onto the field appeared a massive bear-like creature, standing on its hind legs and coated in thick brown fur. Its eyes brimmed with fury and it snarled, gnashing its serrated teeth as it did so. It was Ursaring, most commonly found in the cold peaks of Mt. Silver. They reeked of rage and power, and this specimen was no different.

Yet Ash maintained a confident grin on his face as he observed the new adversary. "Blastoise, I know you can handle this, but come back, I want someone else to handle this." The shellfish grumbled at having his fight cut short, but dutifully waddled over to Ash. "Come out, Machamp!"

Paul's eyes widened in shock. A Machamp? They were some of the most hazardous opponents to square off with. Their physical capabilities were unparalleled by all, and their extra pair of arms allowed for the fighting of multiple opponents at once. Not only this, but they could perform a wide array of lethal attacks, ranging from the elemental punches to the perilous Stone Edge. All in all, Paul seriously doubted even Ursaring would be capable of even keeping up with a Machamp.

Paul cursed as a massive four armed behemoth, standing at seven feet tall, flexed its four arms precariously and snorted as its eyes landed on Ursaring, clearly unimpressed.

"Ash, when did you get such a powerful machamp?" Brock stammered. "Is it one of the pokemon you traded a tauros for?"

Ash grinned back, "Yep, I got him as a machoke though. He was pretty disobedient in the beginning too."

"Are you done praising your four armed freak now?" Paul sneered uncouthly, trying to hide his dread for the outcome of this round. "Let's begin!"

Machamp was nonplussed by the untimely insult. He already knew it would be Paul who was mortified by the end of the battle. He would see to it. "Machamp, end this quickly: Close Combat." The behemoth horrifically smirked; it had been anticipating that order. Without warning, Machamp lunged at Ursaring, giving it no time to guard as it rained heavy blows upon it. The first punch sent Ursaring staggering, although the next blow, a dual uppercut from both lower arms, lifted the bear off the ground.

"Ursaring, don't take this abuse! Recover and hit it with Brick Break, no let up!" Paul yelled, this time not bothering to conceal the frustration straining his voice. The bear struggled up, paws alight with glowing white aura, and successfully blocked a blow from Machamp.

But only one.

The other three first continually bombarded the bear, decimating its defenses and smashing it into the ground until it could no longer even maintain the white aura. Machamp finally ceased the beating, grunting with the exertion Close Combat placed on him, yet stood proudly at his titanic height, heaving a foot on the fallen bear in a show of pride.

"Ursaring is unable to battle! The winner of this battle is Ash!" came Brock's proclamation. This time Ash shot a light sneer at the furious countenance of Paul as he recalled Machamp, praising his friend as he did so. The raven-haired trainer opened his mouth, ready to inquire if Paul still believed his harsh regimen would suffice to truly train his pokemon, when the latter spoke up.

"Ursaring, that performance was horrible, I expect far better of you in the future." Paul blandly spoke. His anger abruptly surfaced when he called out Starly, although the bird was released in an uncharacteristic blue light. "As for you, get lost. You're pathetic and not fit to be my pokemon." The bird seemed _content_ with the news and quickly flew away, squawking in happiness despite its wounds. Apparently it hadn't wanted a trainer with a demeanor as cold as Paul's.

Yet Ash felt indignant for the bird as it was released as if it were useless, not to mention Paul hadn't treated its wounds. Paul very well may have condemned the bird to its death by sending it to fend off in the wild, wounded. "What the hell?" Ash shouted. "You just released it again without treating its wounds? How about you train it and find out what its capable of? My Blastoise was once just a little squirtle, weaker than the starly you just released. Look at where he is now. Kindness and effort pay off in the end."

"You may be formidable, but I promise you, I will train far harder and have tricks up our sleeves to defeat you. My way of training _will_ prevail." Paul retorted, unheeding of Ash's reference to Blastoise. He sneered one last time before walking away into the brush.

"I can't believe that guy!" Ash growled through gritted teeth. "Treating pokemon the way he does, he should get his license revoked!"

"Ash, calm down," Brock soothed him. "There's nothing you can do about it. He's probably taking the gym challenge too. Maybe one day you'll meet up in the Sinnoh league and square off in front of everyone. You can show him there that care comes before strength."

The trainer didn't bother to reply, yet a blazing determination burned in his eyes. He knew that their paths would inevitably cross again. And when they did, Ash would be ready.

 **A bit on the short side, but I wanted to get this out. And I didn't want to start right after the battle with Gary because that's really boring. It might be too quick and I know I got right into the action but its much more exciting than having 2 chapters filled with Ash learning a lesson. Read and review please! Also idk if it will be a Dawn and Ash story, I don't like working with romance.**


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